Can I Make a Will on My Phone?

A guided online will service can be completed on a mobile browser just as easily as on a desktop computer, since the process is simply a sequence of questions about your executors, beneficiaries, gifts and residue. There is no reason you cannot start, pause and finish this on your phone, including reviewing the drafted wording before you finalise it.

This makes it genuinely possible to make real progress on your will in short bursts, on a commute or during a quiet moment, rather than needing to set aside a dedicated block of time at a desk.

Under section 9 of the Wills Act 1837, a will must currently be a physical document, signed by you and witnessed by two people physically present at the same time, who then also sign in your presence. There is no route in England and Wales for a fully digital will with electronic signatures replacing this process for ordinary use.

During the coronavirus pandemic, a temporary provision allowed witnessing via video link in narrow circumstances, but this was a specific, time-limited measure and is not the general position. Always check the current law rather than relying on that exception.

Once you finish the questions on your phone, you will need to print the finished document, or arrange printing, since a screen display of your will is not sufficient for signing. Most services, including ours, produce a downloadable document you can print at home or send to a print shop.

Once printed, follow the signing instructions carefully: sign in front of two witnesses present together, who then sign in front of you. See our guide on how to sign a will for the full process.

The ease of completing questions on a phone should not lead to rushing decisions that matter, such as who to appoint as executor or guardian for children. It is worth pausing on these questions specifically, even if you move quickly through more administrative parts of the process.

If you are unsure about an answer, most services let you save progress and come back later, so use that rather than guessing under time pressure.

A phone-friendly guided process works well for straightforward estates, but it does not change the underlying rule that complex situations, business assets, trusts, overseas property, or blended families with competing interests, need a solicitor's judgement rather than a standard set of questions.

If that applies to you, use the convenience of your phone to research and prepare questions for a solicitor consultation instead, rather than trying to force a complex situation into a simple online process.